Stresses in Human Leg Muscles in Running and Jumping Determined by Force Plate Analysis and from Published Magnetic Resonance Images
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Journal of Experimental Biology 201, 63–70 (1998) 63 Printed in Great Britain © The Company of Biologists Limited 1998 JEB1084 STRESSES IN HUMAN LEG MUSCLES IN RUNNING AND JUMPING DETERMINED BY FORCE PLATE ANALYSIS AND FROM PUBLISHED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES SUSANNAH K. S. THORPE1,*, YU LI1, ROBIN H. CROMPTON1 AND R. MCNEILL ALEXANDER2 1Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Biology, Liverpool University, New Medical School, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK and 2Department of Biology, Leeds University, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK *e-mail: [email protected] Accepted 6 October 1997; published on WWW 9 December 1997 Summary Calculation of the stresses exerted by human muscles to 150 kN m−2 during running at 4 m s−1. In the quadriceps, requires knowledge of their physiological cross-sectional peak stresses ranged from 190 kN m−2 during standing long area (PCSA). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has made jumps to 280 kN m−2 during standing high jumps. Similar it possible to measure PCSAs of leg muscles of healthy stresses were calculated from published measurements of human subjects, which are much larger than the PCSAs of joint moments. These stresses are lower than those cadaveric leg muscles that have been used in previous previously calculated from cadaveric data, but are in the studies. We have used published MRI data, together with range expected from physiological experiments on isolated our own force-plate records and films of running and muscles. jumping humans, to calculate stresses in the major groups of leg muscles. Peak stresses in the triceps surae ranged Key words: muscle stress, magnetic resonance imaging, force-plate from 100 kN m−2 during take off for standing high jumps records, human, muscle, physiological cross-sectional area. Introduction Physiological experiments on isolated muscles or fibre However, their analysis was confined to the ankle muscles and bundles have provided information about the stresses that to isometric contraction. mammalian muscles can exert, both in isometric conditions MRI is considered to be the most accurate and detailed and when lengthening or shortening (Close, 1972). However, imaging technique currently in use (Beneke et al. 1991; very little is known about the stresses that act in human Engstrom et al. 1991; Scott et al. 1993). Its high resolution muscles during everyday activities, and what little information gives clear distinction between fat, muscle, connective tissue we have is open to criticism. Alexander and Vernon (1975) and bone. The use of MRI to measure physiological cross- combined the muscle dimensions of cadaver legs with the sectional areas of muscles from healthy subjects in vivo also forces exerted during various activities by live subjects in order eliminates the problems of cadaveric data. Thus, the aim of the to calculate the stresses involved. However, physiological present study was to calculate accurate muscle stresses by cross-sectional areas of muscles taken from cadaveric material combining moments of force with these muscle dimensions. are generally much lower than expected for healthy living The moments of force exerted during a range of activities are subjects, as the present paper will show. The use of cadaveric well documented in various studies (Alexander and Vernon, data will generally result in an overestimation of the calculated 1975; Mann, 1981; Winter, 1983; Bobbert and van Ingen stresses (Alexander and Vernon, 1975). Maughan et al. (1983) Schenau, 1988; De Vita, 1994; McCaw and De Vita, 1995); avoided the problems of cadaveric material by using cross- however, only two (Alexander and Vernon, 1975; Bobbert and sectional areas obtained by computer tomography of healthy van Ingen Schenau, 1988) have also presented the angles of subjects but, as the stresses were calculated from anatomical the joints during the activity, which are required for the rather than physiological cross-sectional area (i.e. without calculation of moment arms. Consequently, the present study taking account of muscle pennation), they do not help us to will use the moments of force presented in these two papers, relate muscle performance to the results of experiments on and new data for running and jumping, to calculate muscle isolated fibre bundles. Recently, Fukunaga et al. (1996) have stresses. combined muscle dimensions obtained using MRI with ankle joint moments obtained using a dynamometer for various joint angles taken from the same subject. This method obviously Materials and methods eliminates all inaccuracies due to subject differences. Information concerning the subjects is shown in Table 1. 64 S. K. S. THORPE AND OTHERS Table 1. Subject information Number of Age Height Mass Measurement Reference subjects (years) (m) (kg) Mass/height PCSA: triceps surae Fukunaga et al. (1992) 11M, 1F 32±8.2 1.76±0.06 73.5±9.4 41.8 PCSA: quadriceps Narici et al. (1992) 6M 34±4.7 1.74±0.04 74.1±8.2 42.6 PCSA: hamstrings Cutts (1988) 1M 27 1.75 73.5 42.0 PCSA: gluteus and Friederich and Brand (1990) 1M Cadaver 37 1.83 91.0 49.7 adductors MA: ankle Rugg et al. (1990) 10M 30±5.9 1.8±0.07 77.5±5.6 43.1 MA: knee Spoor and van Leeuwen (1992) 1F Cadaver 89 1.56 −− MA: hip Nemeth and Ohlsen (1985) 10M, 10F 67±6.0 1.71±0.03 68.0±6.0 39.8 MA: hip Visser et al. (1990)* 2M, 3F − 1.57±0.08 −− GRF Present study 2M 25 1.81 75.4 41.7 23 1.79 76.5 42.7 Moments Alexander and Vernon (1975) 2M 37 1.69 68.0 40.2 43 1.68 68.0 40.5 Moments Bobbert and van Ingen Schenau 10M 23±3.0 1.93±0.06 84.0±9.3 43.5 (1988) Values are means ± S.D. for the number of subjects. M, male; F, female. *Visser et al. (1990) do not provide data on the height and mass of their subjects; however, leg lengths are provided and height was estimated on the basis of the leg being 49.1 % of the height of the subject (Winter, 1990). PCSA, physiological cross-sectional area; MA, moment arm; GRF, ground reaction force. Table 2. Values of physiological cross-sectional area taken from the literature Physiological cross-sectional areas (cm2) Author Method G S RF VL VI VM SM ST BF GM AM AB AL Alexander and Vernon (1975) Cadaver 35 67 30 43 28 34 30 9 26 −−−− Wickiewicz et al. (1983)† Cadaver 29 58 15 28 40 22 19 6.3 16 − 20 3.9 6.0 Friederich and Brand (1990)* Cadaver 65 187 43 64 82 67 46 23 36 60 61 17 23 Cutts (1988)* CT −−78 87 53 70 72 25 69 −−−− Fukunaga et al. (1992)* MRI 96 230 −− − − − − −−−−− Narici et al. (1992)* MRI −−66 62 84 68 −−−−−−− *Used in present study. †Subject 1. G, gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis; S, soleus; RF, rectus femoris; VL, vastus lateralis; VI, vastus intermedius; VM, vastus medialis; SM, semimembranosus; ST, semitendinosus; BF, biceps femoris; GM, gluteus maximus; AM, adductor magnus; AB, adductor brevis; AL, adductor longus; CT, computer tomography; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging. Physiological cross-sectional areas (PCSAs) are given in Table two subjects, matched as closely as possible to those from 2. The PCSAs used in this paper are taken from MRI studies which the MRI data were taken (see Table 1). Both subjects by Narici et al. (1992) for the quadriceps and Fukunaga et al. took regular exercise. Each subject was instructed to run at (1992) for the triceps surae. The subjects used in these studies comfortable and high speeds over a Kistler force platform type are of similar mass and stature. Additional PCSAs are needed 9281B, which was installed in a 10 m long walkway. Standing for the hamstrings, adductors and gluteal muscles in order to high jumps and long jumps were also recorded. The subjects calculate the total quadriceps stress. MRI data are not available were allowed to practice over the force plate several times for these muscles, so PCSAs for the hamstrings are taken from before the records were taken to ensure that the running computer tomography (CT) (Cutts, 1988) and for the adductors sequences were natural. They performed each locomotor and gluteus maximus from cadaveric material (Friederich and activity six times to ensure suitable records were obtained. Brand, 1990). The cadaveric values may be rather low and thus Only those trials in which the foot was fully on the platform result in an overestimation of the stresses in the hip extensors. in a smooth, unbroken stride were selected for analysis. All Force-plate records of running and jumping were made for tests were performed barefoot. Human leg muscle stresses 65 Split-frame video recordings (25 frames s−1) were taken of 50 fields s−1 (see Alexander, 1983, on the resolution of all sequences from lateral and anterior viewpoints using Lanczos’ smoothing technique). However, the inertial forces genlocked orthogonal cameras. A time and event marker was and moments were in any case quite small. The mass and connected to the camera to indicate the time at which foot moment of inertia of the shank and thigh were estimated from contact was first made. Each subject had black crosses drawn data in Winter (1990) taking account of the body mass and on the following anatomical landmarks: hip (greater stature of the subjects. trochanter), knee (lateral epicondyle of the femur) and ankle (lateral malleolus). The output of the force plate gave the Experimental study: calculation of muscle stresses coordinates of the centre of pressure, which were used to locate Muscle stresses for the hip (h), knee (k) and ankle (a) were the ground reaction force on the video images.